making a mess of things . . .

Today was a fun day using the bikes we just bought. We have already ridden once since we got them, but today was a real treat during our ride.

We ate dinner around four this afternoon and I was feeling really sluggish. Not that I was tired, but not doing anything all day just brought on the lethargic attitude and feeling. I knew a good bike ride would kick me out of the funk. So, we loaded the bikes on the van and headed off to the path that circles the lake. Since we have done this several times, the children all know the routine. Nolan gets on the roof and starts taking the bikes off our "redneck" bike rack. That's right, we load em' on top of the van and bungee cord them down. The others pass out helmets and listen for their name to be called. When they hear it, they pick up their bike and head off for a ride.

Before we got to the lake, the clouds were dark. Ildi had mentioned that there was a chance of showers, but I had decided that whether it rained or not, we would go and enjoy our ride no matter the weather. Around mile number three, we felt a teeny little sprinkle. It seemed the dark clouds had passed but the sky was still a solid, light gray color. I thought we would miss it, but within moments, the magic happened. From the teeny little sprinkles it started to DOWNPOUR like there was no tomorrow! It was warm outside still, and the drops drenched us within minutes. Our last four miles of the ride we spend splashing through puddles, covering our clothes in mud, and to make sure to be safe, watching our speed and braking. I should have taken pictures of the children when we returned home. It was as if they had spent the last hour throwing mud at each other.